Bottle-cleaning apparatus



Sept. 24, 1929. STOCK BOTTLE CLEANING APPARATUS Filed NOV. 15. 1922 5Sheets-Sheet INVENTOR. ywa w A 'I'TORNEYS.

m2 KRQ NE p 1929- H. F. STOCK BOTTLE CLEANING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 15.1922 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR. 4W (3W A TTORNEYS P 1929- H. F. STOCKBOTTLE CLEANING APPARATUS "5 SheetsSheet Filed Nov 15. 1922 I VEN TOR ATTORNEYS.

5 Sheets-Sheet 4 H. F. STOCK BOTTLE CLEANING APPARATUS Filed NOV 15.1922 Sept. 24, 192.9.

INVENTOR.

' ATTORNEYS.

Sept. 24,' 1929.

H. F. STOCK 1,729,193

BOTTLE CflEANING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 15. 1922 5 Sheets-Sheet 5ATTORNEY!- Patented sea. 24,1929

HENRY F. STOCK,

OF WAUKESH A, WISCONSIN, PANY, OF MILWAUKEE; WISCONSIN, A

ASSIGNOR TO MICHAEL YUNDT OOH- CORPOBATION OI WISCONSIN IBOTTLE-CLEANING APPARATUS Application filed November 15, 1922. SerialNo. 601,043.

This invention relates to bottle cleaning apparatus, and the object ofthe invention 15 to improve the construction and operation of bottlecleaning apparatus in the manner to be hereinafter described andclaimed.

Referring to the drawings which accom pany this specification and form apart hereof, which drawings illustrate an embodiment of this invention,and on which drawings the same reference characters are used todesignate the same parts wherever they may appear in each of the severalviews, Fig. 1'is an elevation of one side of 'the bottle cleaningapparatus, parts being broken. away and .some parts being omitted forclearness o illustration; Fig. 2 is an elevation of the other side ofthe apparatus; Fig. 3 is a plan view of parts of the apparatus drawn toa larger scale, parts being broken away; Fig. 4 is a section taken onthe line 4-4 on Fig. 5,

looking in the direction indicated by the arrows; Fig. 5 is a sectiontaken on th line 5-5 on-Fig. 4, looking in the directior? indicated bythe arrows; Fig. 6 is a section taken on the line 66 on Fig. 3, lookingin the direction indicated by the arrows; Fig. 7 is a section taken onthe line 7--7 on Fig. 6, looking in the direction indicated by thearrows; Fig. 8 is a section taken on the line 8-8 on Fig. 9, looking inthe direction indicated by the arrows; Fig- 9 is a section taken on theline 9'9 on Fig. 8, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows;Fig.10 is a section taken on the line 10-10 on Fig. 3, looking in thedirection indicated by the arrows; Figure 11 is a fragmentary detailview illustrating the kicker mechanism for the covers employe at thedischarge end of the water tank; and Figure 12 is a similar view partlyin plan and partly in horizontal'section.

Referring to the drawings, the reference numeral 1 designates a soakingtank which can be of any suitable construction. Theendless-sprocketchains 2 and 3 pass around sprocket wheels 4, 5, 6 and 7, and 8, 9, 10and 11, respectively, and these sprocket wheels I are secured in pairsupon shafts 12, 13, 14 and 15. The shaft 13v is illustrated as supported5 in movable journal boxes which can be positherein can slide out by dloose pulle tioned by screws 16 and 17. Bottle receptacles18 areconnected to the chains 2 and 3, and are preferably provided with aplurality of compartments 19, one compartment for each bottle, and eachbottle receptacle 18 is provided with a cover 20. The covers 20 areprovided with notches 21 in their free edges, a notch being provided foreach compartment, and the covers are receptacles by hinges 22 in awell-known manner. The covers 20 are provided with laterally projectingpins 23 and 24 which coact with cams and guides to close the covers andkeep the covers closed to prevent bottles from floating out of thecompartments 19 as the bottles are carried down, bottoms foremost, intothe cleansing solution in the soaking tank 1, and to prevent bottlesfrom falling out of'the compartments 19, prior to their reaching thedischarging position, as the bottles are being carried up out of thecleansing solution with their necks down. i

hinged to the bottle The bottle receptacles 18 are secured to the chains2 and 3 in inclined positions with respect to the travel of the chainsso that bottles gravity at the dissoaking tank 1 when the charge end ofthe have arrived at the disbottle receptacles charging position. I

The drawings illustrate an electric motor 25 as a power device to driveor rotate the loose pulley 26 on the shaft 27, and the drawingsillustrate ordinary speed-reducing and belt-transmission mechanism totransmit power from the electric motor 25 to theloose pulley 26. Aclutch 28 serves to clutch the 26 to the shaft 27, to rotate the shaft 2or to unclutch the loose pulley 26 from the shaft 27, to revent therotation of the shaft 27 by tlie electric motor 25. The clutch 28 canbe'of any suitable construction, and the drawings illustrate a commontype of clutch comprising a clutch member 29 on the loose pulley 26 anda clutch member 30 splined (the spline not shown) to the shaft 27 andmovable to clutching position by compressed air acting upon a plston 31in a cylinder 32. A

spring 33, which is interposed between the piston 31 and thecylinder-head 34, moves I areconstructed bottles of different sizes beinordinarily the valve plugs being the parts to unclutc-hed positions whenthepressure of the compressed air is reduced sufficiently in thecylinder 32. A pipe 35 supplies compressed air from any suitable sourceof supply to the cylinder 32, and valves '36, 37 and 38 are provided inthe pipe 35 for shutting off the compressed air from the cylinder 32 andpermitting the compressed air to exhaust from the cylinder so that thespring 33 can force the piston 31 back and unclutch the loose pulley 26from the shaft 27. The piston 31 and the cylinder 32 constitute a simpleform of fluidpressure motor for utilizing a fluid under pressure, andmay be considered as, a conventional illustration of a well-known typeof motor. Each of the valves 36, 37 and 38 is illustrated as an ordinarythree-way valve, provided with straight bores-therethrough' and eachvalve plug being provided with an additional bore communicating with thestraight bores Each valve, body is provided with an exhaust port, andwhen the valve plug is turned to one position the exhaust port is closedand compressed air can pass through the strai ht bore and the pipe 35 tothe cylinder 32, ut when thevalve plug is turned to its other positioncommunication between parts .of

the pipe 35 on opposite, sides of-the valve is interrupted, and thecylinder 32 is opened to exhaust.

The shaft 27 is provided with the worm 39 which meshes with the wormwheel 40 which is fast on the shaft 12, and it will be readilyunderstood that when the clutch 28 is clutching the pulley 26 to theshaft 27, and the electric motor 25 is rotating the pulley 26 and theshaft 27, the sprocket wheels 4 and 8 will be rotating and moving theendless cl1ains2 and 3 in the direction indicated by the arrows to carrythe filled bottle receptacles down into the cleansing fluid in thesoaking tank 1 and up to their discharging positions, where the bottlesare discharged, and to carry the emptied bottle receptacles back totheir filling position for refilling withbottles to be cleaned.

The filling end of the soaking tank 1 is designated by the referencenumeral 41, and tll1e4discharging end by the reference numera 2.

When the bottle receptacles 18are passing their filling position theircovers will be open, as clearly shown by Figs. 4 and 5 of the drawings,and an operator will place a bottle in each compartment. The bottlereceptacles ,for bottles of a certain size,

cleaned on different. machines adapted to the size of bottles tobe'cleaned, and-there are two primary causes of trouble which may resultin damage to the apparatus. The covers 20 are intended-to close over theshoulders of bottles with the necks of the bottles projecting through:the notches 21. If too large a bottle be inserted in a compartment, acover 20 will contact with the shoulderof the bottle and be preventedfrom being closed properly. If too small a bottle be inserted in acompartment the bottle neck might not be centered in registration'withthe cover notch, 21 so that the cover may catch on the end of the neckof the bottle and be prevented from beingclosed properly. If a brokenbottle, though of proper size when unbroken, be insertedin acompartment, it may be longenough for the cover to catch upon it thesame as if it were an undersized bottle. In order tofpreventdamsoaking-tank for the pins 24 to track on to keep the covers 20closed. With pins on the ends of the covers,the covers can be madelighter than if a single pin at one end Were' relied upon to close acover and keep the cover closed. Above the extremities of the guides 43and 44, at the filling end of the soaking tank, cams 45 and 46 aremounted upon spindles 47 and 48 and are properly shaped so that, whenthe bottle receptacles 18 are moved past them, the pins 23 and 24 willcontact with their respective cams and move the covers 20 to closedpositions prior to the passage of the pins 23 and 24 into contact withthe guides 43 and 44. If a cover 20 is prevented from being properlyclosed, the cams 45 and 46 will be turned, turning the spindles 47 and48, and stop the movements of the movable parts of the apparatus in thefollowing manner. A crank 49 is secured to the spindle 47 and isconnected by a connecting rod 50 with a crank 51 which is secured to ashaft 52 extending through the soaking tank 1 and which has anothercrank 53 secured thereto.

The crank 53 is connected by a connecting rod 54 with a crank 55 whichis secured to the spindle 48. The crank 55 has a crank-arm 56 from whichis hung a weight 57 for holding the cams 45 and 46 in their normalpositions with suificient resistance to movement to normally closethe'covers 20 asthe pins 23 and 24 are moved over these cams. A stop 58can be placed in any convenient position to de termine and limit thedownward movement of the weight 57 to properly position the cams 45 and46. The crank 55 is also provided with a crank-arm 59 to which ispivoted a hook 60 which projects over the handle 61 of the valve 36. Apivoted, counterbalanced bent-lever 62 is also pivoted to the hook 60 tocompel the upper end of the hook to move substantially to the arc of acircle, this result being a'ccom- 1 to the rear of the guide 1plished byhaving the pivot 63 set below and ack of the spindle 48 and thecrank-arms 59 and 64 non-parallel, as clearly shown by Fig. 5 of thedrawings. I

It will be evident-that, if a cover 20 be prevented from being closedproperly, the pins 23 and 24 will rock the cams and 46 and pull thehookdown and turn the valve iandle 61 to shut off the flow of compressedair through the pipe 35 to the cylinder 32, and to permit the compressedair to exhaust from the cylinder 32 through the valve passages 65 and 66in the valve-plug and through the exhaust port 67 in the valve-body. Thespring 33 will then disengage the clutch 28 and permit the pullley 26 torotate without. rotating the shaft 27, and the movable parts of theapparatus will stop.

The guides 43 and 44 terminate short of the discharge point for thebottles from the soaking tank 1. and a kicker 68 is provided topositively open the covers 20. The kicker 68 is illustrated by thedrawings as a crank-arm on a shaft 69. A star wheel 70 is secured to theshaft 12 and a crank-arm 71, which is se cured to the shaft 69, extendsinto the path of movement of the arms 72 on the star wheel 70 so thatthe kicker 68 will be moved to such an angular position that its lowerend willbe 43,and behind the pins 23 on the covers 20. A weight 73 ishung from a crank-arm 74, which is also secured to the shaft 69, androcks the shaft 69, when the crank-arm 71 is disengaged by an arm 72, to

throw the kicker 68 outwardly against a pin 23 and open a cover 20. Astop 75 limitsthe downward movement of the weight 73, leaving thecrank-arm 71 in a position to be rocked by the next succeeding arm 72 ofthe star wheel 70. It will be understood, of course, that the timing ofthe mechanism is such that an arm 72 of the star Wheel 70 moves thekicker 68 back in time for it to be in a position to act upon the pin 23of each cover 20.

\Vhen the bottles are discharged by gravity from the compartments 19 ofthe bottle receptacles 18, they slide down inclines 76 and are checkedby springs 77 and are stopped by snubbers 78 which are attached to ashaft 79, provided with a crank 80. A crank-arm 81 is pivoted to thesoaking tank 1 and extends into the path of movement of the arms 72 ofthe star wheel 70, and a link 82 connects the crank-arm 81 with thecrank so that the star wheel 70 will move the snubbers 78 into the pathsof movement of bottles and, when an arm 72 is disengaged from thecrank-arm 81, the crank-arm 81 can fall and permit the shaft 79 to rockand raise the snubbers-7 8 to release the bottles. The bottles are thenfed positively, by an endless conveyor 83 under a rotatable scrubbingbrush 84 and delivered to bottle holders 85 of an endless conveyor 86which conveys the bottles over the washing head 87 in the manher to bepresently described. Each bottle is retained between guides 88 and issupported by two inclined rollers 89v as it is fed the endless conveyor83 beneath the scrubbing brush 84, and the rollers 89 are all rotated inthe same direction by a sprocket chain 90 which engages with sprocketwheels 91, one of which is secured to each roller 89. It will be noticedfrom an examination of Fig. 3 of the drawings that the sprocket chain 90is driven by the sprocket wheel 92 on the shaft 93 and runs loose onitslower run while engaging with the sprocket wheels 91 on its upper run. Apipe 94 sprays water over the exteriors of the bottles as they reach thebrush 84, and the bottles are. rotated about their axes by the rotationof the two rollers which support each bottle. The guides 88 providepathways for the bottles and these pathways correspond in number withthe number of compartments 19' in a bottle receptacle 18, and each guide88 is located substantially over the axis of a roller 89 so that eachbottle will be supported by two rollers.

The shaft 27 is provided with 'a sprocket wheel 95 which drives theshaft 96 by means of a sprocket chain 97 and a sprocket wheel 98. I

The endless conveyor 83 is composed, in part, of sprocket chains 99 and100 which run on sprocket wheels 101, 102, 103 and 104, which aresecured in pairs to shafts 105 and 106. The shaft 106 is driven by theshaft 96 by means of the sprocket wheel 107, sprocket chain 108,sprocket wheel 109, shaft 110, worm 111, and worm wheel 112 which issecured to the shaft 106. A bevel gear 113 on the shaft 96 drives thebevel gear 114 on the shaft 115, and the scrubbing brush 84 is drivenfrom the shaft 115 by the sprocket wheel 116, sprocket chain 117 ,andsprocketwheel 118, while the rollers 89 are driven from the samesprocket wheel 119, sprocket chain 120, sprocket wheel 121,'s haft 122,bevel gear 123, bevel gear 124, and shaft 93 to which the sprocket wheel92 is secured.

shaft 115 by the The shaft 96 is provided with a worm 126 i which drivesa worm wheel 127 on the shaft 128. The shaft 128 is provided with avalve operating cam 129, a washing head cam 130, and a one-tootheddriving gear 131 which forms a part of an intermittent gear mechanism.The endless conveyor 86 is composed of sprocket chains 132 and 133 towhich the bottle holders 85 are connected and the sprocket chains 132and 133 pass around sprocket wheels 134, 135, 136, 137, 138 and 139which are secured in pairs to shafts 140, 141 and 142. The shaft 140 hassecured to it the four-slotted gear 143 which is driven by theone-toothed driving gear 131, 'thus completing the intermittent gearmechanism by which the endless conveyor 86 is driven by stepy-stepmotion, giving alternate 86, they are prevented from falling out ofperiods of motion ,and rest or stop. The ottle holders 85 are eachprovided with a plurality of apertures 144 to receive bottles with theirnecks down, and with the necks of the bottles projecting below thebottle holders a suflicient distance for the proper operation of thewashing head 87.

The washing head 87 is provided with two rows, 145 and 146, of washers147, the two rows being spaced apart a distance equal to a step of themovement of the endless conveyor 86. The washing head 87 is movablevertically and is rigidly secured to rods 148 and 149 which are guidedby guides 150 and 151. The washing head cam 130 rocks a shaft 152 by acrank-arm 153, provided with an anti-friction roller 154, and crankarms155 and 156'extend under the rods 148 and 149.. The washing head 87descends by gravity and is elevated by the washing headg cam 130, butboth the descending and the elevating movements are controlled by thecam 130 because the weight of the washing head keeps the antifriction'roller 154 constant-1y in contact with the cam 130. The washing head 87is provided with a water chamber 157 and an air chamber 158, and

. each washer 147 is provided with a nozzle 159 which communicates withthe water. chamber 157 and a concentric nozzle 160 which communicateswith the air chamber 158. Each washer 147 is provided with a cup 161 toreceive the neck of a bottle and substantially center the neck of abottle with respect to the nozzle 159, and orifices 162 and 163a're'provided for the escape of Water and air. \Va'ter under pressure issup plied to the water chamber 157 from any suitablesource of supplythrough the pipe 164, valve 165 and thefle xible connection 166, andco'mpressedair is supplied to the air chamber 158 from any suitablesource of supply through the pipe 167, valve 168 and a v the flexibleconnection 169. The water valve 165 and the air valve 168 are similar inconstruction and are illustrated by Figs. 8 and 9 of the drawings. Thevalve members 170 are of the poppet type and close with the pressures.Rock shafts 171 are provided with projections 172 which underlie thevalve stems 17 3 to lift the valve members 170 to open the valves. Thevalve levers 174 and 175 are secured to the respective rock shafts 171and are connected by a turnbuckle link 176 for adjusting theangular'relation of the valve levers so that the water can be turned Ion prior to the air and be shut'olf subsequent to the air.

opened "and closed by a cam 129 which retates between arms 178 and 179ofv a bellcrank lever 180- which is connected by a link 181 with anextension of the valve lever 175.

When bottles 125 are approaching the discharging point from the endlessconveyor Bothvalves 165 and 168 are the bottle holders 85 by a shield177, but, as they pass beyond the shield 177, they can slide out of thebottle receptacles or bottle holders 85 onto movable receivers 182 whichare normally inclined as continuations of fixed inclined receivers 183.The extent of movement of the bottles under the influence of gravity 'islimited by the inclined ends of The movable receivers 182 are connectedto a rock shaft 190 which is held in a predetermined position by aweight 191, a stop, not shown, determining the extent of downwardmovement of the weight. The rock crating arm 192 which swings so as tomove the valve handle 193 of the air valve 37 to shut off the supply ofcompressed air to the cylinder 32 and to permit the compressed air toexhaust from the cylinder 32 so that the spring 33 will disengage theclutch members 29 and 30 and stop the movements of the movable parts ofthe apparatus. A hottle, or something otherthama bottle, which hadpassed the apparatus up to the final discharge point might not freeitself from a bottle holder and would rock the rock shaft 190 and.stop'the operation of the apparatus without causing damage. The valve 38provides for manualcontrol of the apparatus and is illustrated by thedrawings as placed at a convenient location with respect to the table189so that the delivery of Washed bottles can be controlled, if desirable.The

valves 36 and 37 can also be controlled or operated manually if desiredin addition to their automatic operations, and'the movable parts of theapparatus cannot be set in motion until all three valves 36, 37 and 38are,

properly set for operation. Such a construe tion insures the safety ofthe apparatus and its operators.

- The brush 84 is supported by the shaft 195, to which it is secured byarms, and the shaft 195 can be turned to properly set the brush, as itwears for example, andis retained in the desired position by the bolt196. The'operation of the apparatus will be perfectly clear from theforegoing detailed shaft- 190 is also provided with a valve opcovers,movable bottle receivers, suremotor for controllmg veyors.

, ceptacles provided with covers, n1sm for operating the conveyor,

.ation of the conveyor,

' bottle receivers, means said fluld-pressure motor description tion.

7 What is claimed is:

1. The combination in bottlecleaning apparatus, of a conveyor,'includingbottle repower mechaa fluid pressure motor for controlling the operationof the conveyor, yieldable means for closing said covers, and meanscontrolled by said yieldable means to stop the operation of theconveyor.

2. The combination in bottle cleaning apparatus, of a conveyor,including bottle receptacles provided with covers, power mechanism foroperating the conveyor, a fluid-presof its construction and opera- .suremotor for controlling the operation of cams for clos ng sa1d covers,

the conveyor, and a valve controlled by said cams for controlling saidfluid-pressure motor.

3. The combination in bottle cleaning apparatus, of a conveyor forbottles, power mechanism for operating" the conveyor, a fluid-pressuremotor for controlling the opermovable receivers for the bottles, andmeans for controlling said fluid-pressure motor by a movement of thesaid movable receivers.

4. The combination in bottle cleaning apparatus, of conveyors, one ofsaid conveyors including bottle receptacles provided with covers, powermechanism for operating the conveyors, a fluid-pressure motor forcontrolling the operation of the conveyors, movable for controlling theby the covers of the bottle receptacles, and means for controlling saidfluid-pressure motor b'y said movable bottle receivers.

5. The combination in bottle cleaning apparatus, (if conveyors, one ofsaid conveyors including bottle receptacles provided with afluid-presthe operation of said conveyors, and a plurality of valves forcontrolling said fluid-pressure motor, one of said valves being adaptedto be automatically operated by the'movement of one of said con- 6. Thecombination with a bottle cleaning apparatus having a conveyor andbottlereceptacles carried thereby, said receptacles being-provided with coversadapted to hold a the bottles in proper position therein, of

means adapted and arranged for cooperation w1th each'of said covers tocontrol the operation of said conveyor when said cover fails to assume apredetermiihedposition with respect to said means. v

7. In a machine of the character described,

a conveyor provided with bottle receptacles having bottle-retainingcovers, driving means for said conveyor, means for connecting anddisconnecting said conveyor to and from said driving means, actuatingmeans for said lastmentioned means', and means adapted and arranged forengagemeiit with said covers to causethe latter to close and to causesaid actuatmg means to function when said covers are prevented fromclosing.

8. In a machine of the character described, a conveyor provided withbottle receptacles having bottle-retaining covers, driving means forsaid conveyor, means for connecting and disconnecting said conveyor toand from said driving means, actuating means for said lastmentionedmeans,

ranged for engagement with'sald covers to cause the latter to close andto cause said actuating means to function when said covers arepreventedfrom closing.

9. The combination with bottle cleaning apparatus including a conveyorfor bottles, power mechanism for operating the conveyor, means forcontrolling the operation of the conveyor, conveyor for movementtherewith, of means engageable with said receivers upon movement thereofand operable upon such engagement to actuate saidcontrolling means.

10. A bottle cleaning apparatuscomprising\ a conveyor having bottlereceptacles,

means'cooperatively disposed with respect to said bottle receptacles andoccupying a' predetermined position when unbroken bottles I I of propersize are placed in the receptacles and adapted to occupy a differentposition when bottles of improper size and brokenbottles which havedisplacing engagement therewith are placed in the receptacles, a

clutch controlled drive for the conveyor, a fluid pressure motorcontrolling the clutch and a valve controlled by' said means and reg;ulating thesupply and exhaust of fluid prossure to the fluid pressuremotor.

11. A bottle cleaning apparatus comprising a conveyor having bottlereceptacles, an;

tomatic stop control means cooperatively dis posed with respect to saidbottle receptacles and automatically movable to a stopping positionwhena bottle, liable to cause damage to the machine, is in a bottlereceptacle, a clutch controlled drive for the conveyor,-a fluid pressuremotor controlling the clutch, a valve controlling the supply and exhaustof thefluid pressureto the fluid pressure motor and operating mechanismfor thevalve subject to the control of said automatic stop controlmeans.

12. A bottle cleaning'apparatus compris ing a conveyor having bottlereceptacles, a second conveyorprovided with bottle receivers, a clutchcontrolled drive common to said conveyors, a fluid pressure motorcontrolling the clutch, a plurality of valves each of which controls thesupply and exhaust of fluid presand a cam adapted and ary and bottlereceivers carried by said matically movable to stopping position when abottle, liable to cause damage, is in the bottle receptacle or thebottle receivers, and operatin mechanisms for the valves controlled 5 bysaid automatic stop control means. v 13. A bottle cleaning ap aratuscomprising a plurality of conveyors having means for handling thebottles to be cleaned, a clutch controlled drive common to the severalcon- ,10 veyors, a fluid ressure motor controlling the clutch of saidrive, a plurality of valves located' at different distances from thefluid pressure motor, each valve being adapted to independently controlthe supply and exhaust 15 of-fluid pressure to said motor, and automaticstop control means regulating the action of the valves and cooperativelydisposed with respect-to the conveyors and their'means for handling thebottles, and adapted to be auto- 20 matica-lly moved to stoppingposition when a 7 bottle, liable to cause damage to the machine, ishandled by the means of the conveyor.

g In witness whereof I hereto aflix my signature.

26 HENRY F. STOCK,

